Fragments: After The Letting Go
by BK0610
Summary: In this story, the assassination attempt on President Grant's life didn't happen. The Gala went on and Fitz has let Olivia go. But when happens when Olivia questions her decision to be let go and move on with Edison? Will Fitz be waiting with open arms? As always, Scandal and its characters are the property of Shonda Rhimes, Shondaland, ABC et al.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Ok, I feel I need to stick one of these things in this story. Now, if you know me (from my stories here or on Twitter), you know that I'm ride or die Olitz. I wait for Olitz. I watch for Olitz. I can't breathe without Olitz. I exist for Olitz. That's never going to change. Y'all would also know that I'm not about that Edison "Puddin Pop" Davis life (see my mention of him in one of the chapters of The Trail Redux). However, THIS story will have its fair share of Edison. Groan away. Yes, yes, I know he sucks (even more so after we saw him in 2.10). But, believe me when I tell you that it's necessary and that I won't let you all down. So, I hope you all hop on the train and stay along for the ride until the LAST STOP. I promise you, all will be well.**

* * *

"We can't always get what we want, can we?" Fitz asked facetiously as he got out of the limousine. He stood before a roaring crowd and pasted a grin on his face, hoping it looked more genuine and enthusiastic than he really felt. He wished he could have just gone back to the residence as Mellie suggested, but without a good reason, Fitz couldn't bring himself to stay home and waste all of the time and money spent on his 50th birthday celebration—despite the fact that he didn't want the celebration in the first place. He'd have rather stayed home with a nice meal, a tumbler of scotch and a movie instead of being here. Or maybe he'd have liked to have gone to Vermont to visit Karen and Gerry for a few days. Anything but this. Any other time Fitz may have been slightly more enthused, but the idea of having to deal with seeing Olivia Pope walk in on the arm of Edison Davis made an already miserable situation even worse. Happy Birthday to him.

Fitz buttoned his tuxedo jacket and reached for Mellie, who like him, wore one of her signature pasted on smiles. He still didn't understand why Mellie had a sudden change of heart. She usually grabbed any opportunity to be "First Lady" to the American public. Yet this time, Mellie wanted to go home. Sometimes—most times—Fitz didn't understand or know what was going on in her head. Regardless of Fitz's thoughts, he took Mellie's outstretched hand into his own as Mellie stepped to his side and they walked hand in hand into the entrance of the National Gallery. From the looks of everything, Fitz would be remiss if he didn't acknowledge the fact that Mellie and Cyrus did a good job of planning this whole thing.

As he walked into the main auditorium of the gallery, all he heard was the sound of applause. Despite not wanting to be there, Fitz was nothing but gracious and gave a truly heartfelt smile to everyone in attendance. For show, he gave Mellie a hug and a quick peck on the lips. Mellie, a master at this charade, smiled warmly back at him and swiped her thumb over his lips to wipe away traces of her lipstick. They walked further into the auditorium, still hand in hand, and greeted those in front of them. Cyrus and James were already there of course. James was clearly happy to be amongst all of the country's political elite and likely wanted to hound each and every one of them for an interview. As James and Mellie engaged in some light chit chat, Cyrus stepped up to Fitz.

"Mr. President. What do you think?" Cyrus asked, a cautious look on his face.

"You did a great job, Cy. Very nice," responded Fitz, who had returned to using his more reserved smile.

"Sir—" Cyrus began, and then stopped. Despite his earlier machinations, he really didn't want to be a party to this.

"What Cyrus? What is it now? What exactly do you want to tell me?" Fitz still grinned, but his grin had taken on a slightly crazed look, as his efforts to not betray his own annoyance and anger didn't mix well with his pasted on smile.

"Sir. She's already here. In the back. I just thought you should know." Cyrus looked uncomfortable as he relayed the news but Fitz couldn't bring himself to care about his comfort. Wasn't this the same man who, just this afternoon, gloated about losing a bet when Fitz maneuvered Edison David into the Senate Majority position? Fitz loved Cyrus, but there were times like right now when he couldn't give a shit about his comfort.

"Thank you, Cy. For letting me know. It's fine. I'll be fine." And Fitz walked off into the crowd to greet more of his guests.

* * *

In this moment, Olivia didn't know what she was thinking by agreeing to come to the gala with Edison. She wasn't ready. She couldn't do this. She didn't want to do this. But here she was, in a beautiful vintage gown, her hair straightened from its usual bouncy curls. She reached for a passing serving tray loaded with tomato ricotta basil bruschetta and grabbed one of the tasty treats. Edison stood to her right, his head titled slightly back as he sipped his wine. Olivia ate the hors d'oeuvre and wiped her hand on a napkin. She looked around the huge auditorium, looking for…

"Liv, what's wrong?" asked Edison as he placed his hand on the small of her back.

"Nothing's wrong, why do you ask?" Olivia said as she looked up at Edison and gave one of her rare smiles. She was trying. She really was…

"I don't know, you just looked sad and lost for a moment. Are you sure you're okay?" he asked once more.

"I'm fine. Promise."

"Ok, good," he grinned. At the same moment, the band started to play "Happy Birthday To You" as Fitz and Mellie walked to the center of the auditorium, the spotlight on the two of them. Olivia had a clear view of the couple and could see Fitz blushing in response to the music and the crowd serenading him. When the song was over everyone began clapping in earnest, Olivia right along with them. Then someone handed Fitz a microphone and the crowd quieted down.

"I'm sure if every person turning 50 was given a party like this, then reaching the half century mark wouldn't sound so bad anymore!" Fitz jokes and the crowed laugh. Olivia was surprised to hear Edison's deep baritone laughter. Surprised because it wasn't a big secret that Edison didn't care for Fitz on either a personal or professional level. Politically, Olivia could understand as Fitz and Edison were members of opposing parties. But personally? Olivia never understood it, especially since Edison didn't really know Fitz, he only knew of him.

"But seriously," Fitz continued, Olivia's attention once again focused solely on him, "I want to thank all of you for being here tonight. It means a lot to me. I'd like to thank my lovely wife for having this idea in the first place! Do you know I actually planned on staying home in some pajamas?" Once again the crowd laughed. "But Mellie talked me out of it, and of course she was right. So thank you, honey." And once again, Fitz kissed her in front of the crowd.

Olivia knew that kiss. She'd trained them on that kiss. The perfect kiss for the public. Fitz wasn't kidding when he'd told her that she taught him how to fake it with his wife very well. To the unsuspecting eye, they looked happy and still devoted to each other. Despite knowing all of that, Olivia still felt the slight sting of pain watching them together smiling and seemingly happy.

"And, because it's my birthday and I can do what I want," Fitz paused and gave the crowd one of his dazzling smiles, "I want all of you to have the time of your lives tonight! Thank you for coming. Now, let's party!"

The band began playing again, this time accompanied by the legendary Stevie Wonder, who regaled them with hit after hit for the first hour of the party. During that hour, Olivia mingled with the who's who of the US political elite, some of them former clients of hers. She smiled, jokes, asked about families and had her brain picked by a couple of governors and judges. Edison was often by her side, letting Olivia introduce him to those he didn't know so that he could strike up his own conversation. She didn't necessarily mind doing that; she and Edison always did function better when work was the common goal and focus.

Olivia spent that hour mingling and eating the passing hors d'oeuvres and enjoying Stevie's vocals. She caught herself singling along to "Signed Sealed Delivered" and gave Edison a little grin. After Stevie's set was over, a band began to play. Olivia reluctantly made her way to the dance floor at Edison's insistence. She didn't really feel like dancing, but decided to go with the flow, in the vain of "when in Rome…"

She danced with Edison for a few songs, and then James and then Cyrus. She'd danced with Cyrus a few times at various other functions. Those times were always comfortable and joked and made jabs at each other as they danced. But this time, there was a certain uneasiness between them. She knew why of course. All roads lead to…

"I didn't think you'd come tonight," Cyrus said as they swayed a bit to the beat.

"Honestly, I didn't think I'd come either. I had a moment earlier where I thought this was good, and it'd be good, and everything would be fine. But now I'm not so sure."

"Why?"

"Because…Cy…I. I didn't mean…I didn't want…" Olivia couldn't get the words out.

Cyrus nodded understandingly. "I don't know what I'm going to do with the two of you. I love you both, but I often want to ring both of your necks. Liv, he's trying. He's really trying. Please. He been better, but he's still not 100%. He's trying to get there."

"I know Cy, I know," Olivia sighed, still swaying in Cyrus arms. They continued to dance until the song finished and James came to collect his husband for another twirl on the dance floor. Olivia marveled at how Cyrus, very much an indoor person, wasn't afraid or too shy to be seen owning the dance floor with his husband.

Olivia felt an arm wrap itself around her waist and then a voice whispered in her ear "let's dance." She turned around and placed one hand on Edison's shoulder and the other in his hand and let him lead her in a classic dance around. She looked up into his face and took stock of his wide smile.

"I told you we were good together," he said and Olivia nodded in agreement. They were good together…then. "Were" being the operative past tense word. Olivia was unsure if there would be good together now…but she was trying. Trying until…

* * *

When Fitz saw her, he couldn't help it. His breath hitched and was caught in his throat. She looked a dream come true to him. The white flowing gown gave her an angelic quality. As she walked across the room it looked as if she was floating. She was magical, ethereal. He couldn't help but stare—he hadn't seen her up close since the night at the restaurant where he let her go. She was beautiful. Beautiful but dangerous, so Fitz actively worked to stay away from her. There were times that he could feel her presence or hear the remnants of her laughter floating toward his ear. At those times, times when they were clearly in the same vicinity, he ran like a scared little mouse.

His flitting from one part of the auditorium to another and yet another worked for some time. He was, of course, the honored guest in question and he had to make the proverbial rounds. Mellie stayed by his side for most of it, regaling them of the upcoming appearance of America's Baby and all that was left to be done before his arrival. Mellie spoke about Karen and Gerry and how much they were looking forward to meeting their new brother.

After some time mingling, Mellie pulled Fitz toward the middle of the auditorium where many couples, friends, and acquaintances were already dancing to the sounds coming from the band. Fitz gave a slight gentlemanly bow to his wife and held out his hand, which she took and went into his arms. They began to dance slowly, her pregnant belly serving as a welcomed physical buffer between them.

"So, do you still have that feeling you were talking about earlier," Fitz asked as he led her slightly to the right.

Mellie shook her head. "No. I don't know what that was Fitz. I just had a feeling that something awful was going to happen. But, maybe it was just a fluke."

Fitz looked at her disbelievingly. "Or maybe your "feeling" disappeared after I told you that everything was over between me and Olivia." Fitz looked at her in the eye and gave her a look that dared her to lie.

"Well, maybe that helped a bit," Mellie smirked. She had won, just like she was a supposed to.

"You're a piece of work, you know that? I just can't believe I—"

"Hold that thought, dear," Mellie interrupted him and stepped back from him, letting go of his hand and dropping her other hand from his shoulder. "Olivia! How are you? Thank you for coming to celebrate Fitz's birthday."

Fitz turned around and saw Olivia in the arms of Edison Davis, mid dance stride. Edison had a smile on his face the bespoke of a man taken with a lovely woman. Olivia, on the other hand, looked like a deer in headlights—and just as skittish, as if she wanted to run away as he'd been doing all night.

Olivia took at step back from Edison and walked toward Mellie. They gave each other a small hug and Olivia turned to Fitz.

"Happy Birthday, Mr. President," she said, reaching out her hand. Fitz looked at her outstretched hand—her tiny and delicate hand. A hand that, in another life, felt so warm and loving on his skin, on his body. A hand whose painted nails once left vicious marks on his bed after a night of intense love making. A hand whose thumbs always delicately swept across his mouth to remove all traces of her lipstick.

Fitz looked Olivia in the eye as he took her hand in his and gave her a perfunctory handshake. "Thank you, Olivia. Thank you for coming."

Olivia gave him a small nod, then motioned over to Edison. "Mr. President, I believe you know Edison Davis."

The two men shook hands, with Fitz making his handshake slightly stronger than normal. He didn't miss the slight wince that appeared on Edison's face.

"Mr. President, happy birthday," Edison said. He didn't have much to say to him otherwise.

"Mellie, have you met Edison Davis?" Olivia asked, introducing the two.

"No, I don't believe I've had the pleasure," responded Edison as he shook Mellie's hand. "It's nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Grant."

"Likewise," Mellie said. In the midst of the introductions, the band began to play a brand new song. And Mellie, being in one of her moods, thought of a great idea. "Mr. Davis, would you like to dance? Honey, why don't you and Olivia dance and catch up." Mellie smiled at Fitz, daring him to decline thus making a scene.

Edison looked over at Olivia, who gave him a nod of approval. Then he took Mellie's hand and led her a few feet away from where Olivia and Fitz stood. The pair stared at each other before Fitz held out his hand, which Olivia quickly took. Fitz gently pulled her toward him but kept her at a respectable distance as they danced. The last time they danced together his hand hovered over the top of her bottom; this time Fitz placed his hand on the middle of Olivia's back.

They began dancing, Fitz leading the dance in his own learned and graceful way. It didn't take more than five seconds for Olivia to notice that Fitz wouldn't look at her. He kept his glazed eyes starring ahead. It looked to her as if Fitz was occupying his mind by counting the amount of steps to be made before he led them dancing in another direction. Olivia stared at his beautiful face for a few more moments before decided to just take the plunge.

"This gala is amazing. Cyrus did a great job of planning it," Olivia began, trying to strike up conversation.

"That he did." Fitz was still looking anywhere but at her face while Olivia couldn't help but keep her gaze fixed to his face. When Fitz didn't continue, Olivia was at a lost. It was obvious that Fitz didn't want to be near her and to know that was making her mind go into a tailspin. Olivia couldn't remember a time when Fitz didn't want to be near her.

"You look good. Well rested," Olivia tried once again. She meant it, too. She always liked Fitz in a tux. Olivia thought of the many nights that she'd taken her time removing all of the pieces of a tux from his body.

Fitz wanted so badly to tell Olivia how beautiful he thought she looked tonight. But felt that he'd come undone.

"Thank you. I feel good. The G8 went well and I got to sleep through the night for a change," He grinned, still looking past her.

Fitz knew that Olivia continued to stare at him, perhaps waiting for a return compliment. He may not have been looking directly at her, but he could feel her gaze in the same way that one could feel heat from a nearby furnace. Yes, her gaze burned him. Instead of want and arousal, however, her gaze only served to hurt him even more.

"I remember a time when you told me not to look at you as we danced because everyone would know. Why aren't you taking your own advice? Why are you staring at me?" Fitz asked. His tone wasn't harsh or cold—it was merely matter of fact.

"Fitz…what are you—Why are you," Olivia couldn't even get her words out. She didn't know what to say in response, partly because he was right.

"Yes, Olivia?" Once again, Olivia was shocked, this time by the use of her full name. It was rare for Fitz to call her Olivia; he mainly only did so when he was angry or had something very important to say.

"Olivia, I would think that you wouldn't want Senator Davis to look over at us, see you staring at me," Fitz said, this time tipping his hand and looking at her face to face.

"Fitz why are you being this way. You act like you don't even want to be near me, to talk to me," Olivia said, her voice low so as not to be overheard by prying ears.

"I'm doing what you asked me to do, Olivia. I let you go."

"Yes, but…does that mean we can't be friends? Does that mean you won't even look at me now?"

"I could have sworn that you once told me that we weren't friends. Are you changing your mind about that now?" Fitz asked her, looking at her intently. Olivia shifted under the intensity of his gaze. This was the second time that he'd used her own words against her. She looked off to the side and saw that, a couple away, Mellie and Edison seemed to have been having a very good conversation judging by the smiles on both of their faces.

Looking back at Fitz, Olivia said "Are you mad about me bringing Edison? Look, I wasn't even going to come. I was all set not to until I found out that you'd made it so that Edison would become the new Senate Majority Leader. After I found that out I realized that…" Olivia paused, not knowing if she should show her hand and continue.

"You realized what?" Fitz tipped his head to the side, his gaze questioning. He looked sincere so Olivia decided to take the plunge.

"I realized that you were serious about letting me go. I didn't even go out with Edison anywhere that I'd thought people would know us and it'd get back to you. I wasn't ready…and then when you gave Edison the job…" Olivia's voice drifted off as she continued to star at Fitz. She didn't know what she was doing, she didn't know what she wanted. But she knew she'd made a mistake—two of them: forcing Fitz's hand and coming here with Edison.

Fitz's sincere look changed to one of disbelief then anger laced with sarcasm. "So you were testing me?"

Olivia didn't speak. She was testing him, subconsciously, but she was. Her silence was the answer that find both needed and didn't want at the same time.

"Senator Davis was the best man for the job. Despite any feelings I may have had for you, I wasn't going to deny him the job. I learned my lesson the last time," he said, referring to the abandoned ethics committee review that he'd once initiated.

"Feeling you may have had?" Olivia questioned, shocked once more.

"Olivia, what do you want from me? You asked me to let you go, and I did. Despite your efforts, I knew about you and Edison."

"How did you…"

"Cyrus. And I'm sorry…but Cyrus still had you under surveillance. I'd told them to stop after the whole Thorngate debacle, but somehow—aka, Cyrus—they didn't get the message. It won't happen again.," Fitz finished, needing to let her know that he wouldn't invade her personal life like that.

"I see," Olivia said after swallowing some of the saliva that had fathered in her mouth.

"Three weeks Olivia. Three weeks. I was gone for three weeks and you have another man practically living with you. If I didn't mean what I said about letting you go at the restaurant—and I did—I would have meant it after seeing those pictures." Fitz's voice had gone hard as he said this, his anger very evident to her despite the benign look on his face that would have caused onlookers no need for concern. His voice and tone answered her previous question about the nature of the pictures he saw. And for some reason, this made Olivia very angry.

"Really Fitz? You want to do there? What about Amanda Tanner? I can't believe you! How dare you!" she exclaimed in a hushed whisper

"As I said before, you left me. You told me we were in this together and the next day you were gone with nothing more than a form resignation letter. That was it. You know I regret the whole Amanda Tanner situation. But I wasn't building a relationship with her. I didn't take up with her within three weeks of you leaving." Fitz paused. "Edison is practically living with you! You never really cared, Olivia. I'm now realizing it."

"Fitz, that's not true. I love you." It took a second for Olivia to realize that she said love in the present tense.

"So you say. But I guess it doesn't matter now does it? Now that I've let you go at your request." At that moment, the band stopped and the patrons broke out into an applause. Fitz dropped his hand from Olivia's back and let go of the hand he was holding.

"Goodbye Olivia," was all Fitz said as he went to go find his wife. After two steps, he turned back and said "you look beautiful, by the way" and continued his departure.

Olivia looked at Fitz, his back to her as he walked up to Mellie and Edison. Edison bowed to Mellie, shook Fitz's hand and began walking back toward her with a big smile on his face. As Olivia stood to greet him, a smile on her face that did not travel to her eyes and only served to keep her tears locked in, she wondered—not for the first time—what she'd done to her life.

* * *

**A/N: As you can tell, this story won't be lighthearted. But, I ask you to go along for the ride and trust me! Please read and review :-)**


	2. Chapter 2

_Present Day - One Month Later_

"You know, my mother will be visiting DC in two weeks. She would like us all to go out to dinner," Edison said between mouthfuls of filet mignon.

Olivia was in the middle of cutting a piece of her lemon grilled salmon when she heard Edison mention his mother wanting to meet for dinner. That declaration made her stop mid cut and look up at Edison who was already starring at her. Olivia began to continue to cut her salmon and then stuck a fork full into her mouth, as if trying to stall her response to his statement.

"Really?" Olivia asked, after having swallowed her fish. She took a small sip of wine and continued. "Why is she coming to DC?"

"No special reason, she just wants to visit her favorite son," Edison smiled in what Liv knew he considered a jovial way.

"That's great Edison. But…don't you think it's too soon? I know she and I know each other, but she and I didn't leave off on the best of terms. Maybe we should just wait and see where this goes before we have a fancy sit down dinner with the three of us." Olivia said this all in one go, her voice unwavering.

"What do you mean it's too soon? Olivia—" Edison was cut off by a slightly angry Olivia.

"Edison. You know your mother doesn't like me. And after I broke off our engagement, I'm sure the feeling hasn't changed."

"It's not that mother doesn't like you. It's just that she thinks that you can be a bit stand-offish at times, cold and a bit secretive," Edison explained.

"Yea, that's what she thinks but I never heard you try to tell her any differently," Olivia challenged, her salmon and accompaniment of asparagus forgotten for the moment.

"Well, that's because you can be cold at times. I distinctly remember that being one of the issues in our relationship."

"Really? And how do you know that I'm no longer "cold" or any of the other adjectives you and mother bandy about when talking about me?"

Edison sighed and put down his utensils. He reached across the table to grab Olivia's hands and brought them both up to his lips to give them a quick peck. Holding her hands, he said "Liv, we both have our quirks. I still have feelings for you. I think we were good together and that we can continue to be good together now. We've both grown a bit in these last few years. I think we'll be fine. Okay?" He gave her hands another kiss and then placed them back on her side of the table. Immediately, he went back to cutting his steak. While he focused on his food, Olivia thought back to a conversation she had a couple of years ago…

* * *

_Past – During the General Election_

_Olivia's back was at one side of the tub while Fitz rested against the other. The tub was big enough so that Fitz's legs had enough room to stretch out and lie flat against the tub's floor. Olivia was enjoying their alone time together—things were so much more hectic during the general election, so they took any moment that could be spared to spend their time together and alone. Olivia sighed as Fitz picked up one of her legs and began to rub her foot, a foot sore from running around all day in 5 inch heels._

_"Livvie, I don't know why you insist upon wearing those shows every day," Fitz began as he rubbed her soled. He took a quick second to place a peck on her big toe and then kept rubbing._

_"I mean, don't get me wrong, I love the shoes on you and the extra things they do to your body," Fitz wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and Olivia laughed and splashed some water on him. "But seriously, you're on your feet all day and running back and forth. I'm sure there are some cute flats out there that would be stylish but won't leave you close to limping at the end of the day."_

_Olivia looked at Fitz as he looked at her, still giving her a foot rub, as he waited for her answer. She stared for a few minutes longer and Fitz brushed it off and went to the next foot to begin his massage. After spending almost all of his time with her over the past few months, he'd learned some of Olivia's quirks and habits. Sometimes Olivia was so loquacious when they debated anything from Tyson versus Ali to favorite books to policy. But other times, she retreated within herself and Fitz had to learn when to let her and not push—and that lesson was learned pretty early on. _

_He kept rubbing her other foot, repeating a peck on her big toe, when he heard her begin to talk._

_"I know you've noticed that I'm on the petite side. Growing up I was always the smallest and I was picked on a lot. As I got older, the teasing stopped but in my career I've found that the fact that I'm smaller than a lot of the men I deal with sometimes made them not take me seriously. So I started wearing heels all of the time to give myself some height so that when I stood toe to toe, so to speak, I had an extra amount of gravitas behind me," Olivia explained, her eyes no longer a blank star as she looked at Fitz._

_"But Olivia, you are so smart—probably the smartest person I know," and Olivia blushed at this because she knew her mentor Cyrus Beene was pretty damn smart._

_"It's not about being smart, but you know how some men are, Fitz. They don't always take women seriously. I've just found that the extra height helped a bit with getting my point across. But, that was ages ago—people know me now. They know that I know what I'm talking about and that I get results. Now I just wear heels because I love them and they make my ass look great," Olivia said and gave Fitz her own eyebrow wiggle. To that, Fitz let out a raucous laugh. He dropped her foot and grabbed her arm to pull her nearer to him. Laughing, Olivia maneuvered herself so that her back was to Fitz's front. His arms wrapped around her immediately and he kissed her hair, her check, then buried his face in the crook of her neck._

_"Fitz?"_

_"Hmm," was the only sound that came out of his mouth, as it was busy kissing and lightly lapping at her neck._

_"I've never actually told anyone why I tend to wear heels all the time. Honestly, no one has ever really asked," Olivia began. Fitz stopped his ministrations on her neck and just rested his chin on her shoulder as he listened, thinking he was about to hear something important._

_"You're the only person outside of my family that I feel I could tell anything and you wouldn't judge me. I feel a sort of freedom with you that I've never felt in my other relationships," Olivia continued, wanting to get all of this out for some reason._

_Fitz remained in his position and just listened._

_"I know that I can appear to be cold at times. I've heard that before. I've heard that I'm stand-offish and refuse to open up to people. In some ways it's true. But I appreciate the fact that you've never thought those things. You know me. You've been patient and you've known when to push me and when to let things go. I just…thank you, Fitz." Olivia finished, amazed that she was able to get all of that out._

_Fitz felt like he'd be given a precious gift. Fitz turned his body and Olivia's slightly so that they could see each other. "Livvie, what you just said to me is probably one of the best things anyone has ever told me. I love knowing that you are comfortable enough to feel you can share anything with me. You know I feel the same toward you, right?" Olivia nodded her response. "Good. And thank you for telling me." Fitz leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss on the mouth which she returned enthusiastically._

_"And," Fitz began after pulling back a bit "even though your ass looks spectacular with the 5 inch heels, just bring some extra flats for the end of the day, ok? Your ass looks spectacular to me at all times." With that, Fitz dove in again and crushed their mouths together. Their hasty movements made some of the water from the tub splash to the ground but they didn't care since they were wrapped up in each other—literally and figuratively._

* * *

_Present Day_

Olivia's reminiscing about Fitz was interrupted by the ring of her cell phone. She looked at the display and saw Harrison's name appear. She didn't bother to excuse herself, since Edison knew the nature of her job.

"Yes?"

"We have incoming. Actor with his third DWI. Possible jail time. He wants to talk strategy, rehab, the whole thing," began Harrison as he explained the particulars of the case to Olivia.

"Ok then, I'll be there in twenty minutes," Olivia said and then pressed the red icon to disconnect the call. She looked up at Edison who she could see was slightly annoyed. To be honest, there was no rush on this case. The actor wasn't spending the night in jail (likely due to his fame) and she could just as easily start tomorrow. But she didn't want to continue this dinner with Edison. Between him bringing up his mother, them talking about how he felt she was cold, and her remembering the good times with Fitz, she just couldn't deal with Edison tonight. And she didn't care if he was mad.

"Edison, I'm sorry but I have to go into the office and get working on this case. You know how it is," Olivia said as she reached for her Prada Saffiano that hung on a discrete hook right under their table.

"Is it really necessary for you to go in tonight? Liv…" Edison trailed off. She knew he wanted to say more but she didn't give him the opportunity.

"Yes. I'm sorry. I have to go. Are you ready?" she asked as she pushed the chair back and got up. She was ready to go to the coat check and get her trench coat.

Edison sighed. "Fine. You go ahead, I'll handle the check."

"Thank you," she said and then walked off.

* * *

Fitz sat in the Oval office looking over the latest jobs report. Things were looking good though there was always room for improvement. His goal was to hit a 7% unemployment rate by the end of the year and he thought it was doable. During the month since his birthday gala, Fitz had thrown himself full force into his work . Most of his time was spent in the office or meetings. He usually went up to the residence in the early morning. Each night he'd take a shower, change, and then go to sleep on the couch in the baby's nursery, Mellie's complaints be damned.

In the past month, he and Mellie spoke even less than usual. Fitz was still angry at her game playing at the gala, from the gala itself to Mellie's maneuvering (and subsequent gloating) to get Fitz and Olivia to dance together. He'd reamed her out that evening as they made their way throughout the Residence and Mellie's only response was that she had to see for herself if Olivia was no longer his mistress. Fitz could do nothing but look at her in disgust and head off to the nursery.

As he lay on the couch in the nursery, Fitz reached over to grab his wallet that was resting on a night stand. The moonlight shining through the sheer curtains provided enough light for him to see the picture in his wallet that he was looking for. The picture was a close-up of he and Olivia where he kissed her on the cheek and her face was lit up with joy. He loved that picture and had kept it with him since the day he made a color glossy copy on his home pc. Often the picture would give him comfort. These days it both made him sad. In the past month, there had been many times where Fitz was ready to rip the picture up and throw its remnants in the trash—the same way Olivia seemingly threw him away. But he didn't; the picture served to push him to focus on his Presidency. After all, the Presidency was the reason for all of this mess, he might as well make the most of it. He replaced the picture, put the wallet back on the nightstand and then he let his eyes close and drift off to sleep, hoping that tonight was a dreamless night.

* * *

Olivia lay on the couch in her office. There was no way she was going home tonight; she didn't feel like dealing with Edison. And she surely didn't feel like having sex tonight and was in no mood to even come up with an excuse. For the past two weeks Edison stayed at her apartment every night. She was starting to regret giving him a key. She'd once said that living alone had its perks and she was right. She'd forgotten how it was to live with Edison and she found that co-habitating with him wasn't something she missed. Edison never knew when to pull back and let her be alone in her own thoughts. She couldn't even pace back and forth or in circles in peace, he was always there asking her what she was thinking and pushing his way into her thought process.

She took a deep breath and exhaled, her chest going down as the air left her lungs. She felt lost and slightly restless. Olivia sat up, pushing her quilted blanket to the side. She stared across the room to the table that stood behind her desk and chair. The same table that used to support various pictures of her and Fitz. The pictures were benign in nature. None of them would arose any suspicion about the two of them being a couple. No, the pictures were candids of them in the midst of Fitz's campaign. They were innocuous to the unsuspecting eye but Olivia was able to look beneath the façade of the pictures to see two people very much in love. She missed the presence of those pictures. When Fitz let her go almost two months ago, she immediately removed all of them from the desk and put them in a small chest in the bottom of her closest.

In no mood to deny the need to see Fitz's face, she got up and walked to her closet. She knelt down in front of the chest and opened it, pulling out the picture that was on top and easiest to access. She stared at the black and white picture of her and Fitz talking, with him looking down at her while she spoke to him. He has a slight grin on his face, letting her know that he was enjoying whatever was coming out of her mouth at the time. She missed that grin as much as she missed his face. Olivia softly brushed her hand against the picture, focusing his strokes on Fitz's image. She then replaced the picture closed the chest and made her way back to her couch. Sleep called and she wondered if she'd have dreams of Fitz or if would she be blessed with a dreamless night.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: This chapter has more Edison (sorry, but it's necessary) and we meet Edison's mother—whoa!**

* * *

_Present Day - 2.5 Weeks later_

Olivia was later for dinner with Edison and his mother. She'd tried to get out of having dinner with the older woman numerous times since Edison had fist suggested dinner a couple of weeks ago. Yet, all of Liv's protestations fell on deaf ears. So here she was, twenty minutes late, rushing into the doors of Cityzen. She gave Edison's name to the maître d' and followed behind him as he led her to the table where Edison and his mother were sitting at a nicely located table and laughing. When Olivia walked up to the table, Edison immediately got up and gave her peck on the cheek.

"Liv, you made it!"

"I did. Sorry I'm late," Olivia said. She looked over at Edison's mother. "Mrs. Davis, how nice to see you again," said Olivia with a small smile on her face as she bent down to hug the older woman. Monica Davis returned Olivia's small smile and hug with one of her own. After these pleasantries were exchanged, Olivia sat in the chair that Edison had pulled out for her. The waiter came over to attend to Olivia; luckily she already knew what she wanted and quickly ordered. After doing that, she turned her attention to her two dining companions.

"So Olivia," began Mrs. Davis.

"Yes Mrs. Davis?" Olivia asked, waiting…

Olivia wasn't looking forward to anything Monica Davis had to say. Monica Davis, or Mrs. Davis as she preferred to be called, was the picture of formality. She was a distinguished looking woman of Olivia's height and Edison's complexion. Her eyes, a nice hazel hue, were slightly slanted at the corners. Her nose and mouth fit her face and added to her refined and distinguished looks. Her salt and pepper hair was cut short into an age appropriate bob. She wore pearl studs with a matching pearl bracelet and necklace. Monica Davis was a beautiful woman. Too bad she was such a bitch and doted on her only son so much that he was the epitome of a momma's boy.

During the four years that she and Edison had been together, Monica never seemed to like her. Monica found every opportunity to nitpick at Olivia, from how much salt she used in a dish to her apolitical nature to her clothes and makeup choices. Olivia could never win with this woman. The worst part of it all was that Edison never stood up for her, or rather, he'd sometimes try and then acquiesce to whatever nonsense t hat came out of his mother's mouth. Back then, Olivia could deal with it because they didn't see Monica often. But once they'd gotten engaged, Monica let her presence be known. They'd almost come to verbal blows while shopping for Olivia's gowns—if it weren't for Olivia's mother, Evelyn Pope, serving as a go-between and calming both of the women down. It was a nightmare and was one of the last nails in the coffin of Olivia and Edison.

Mrs. Davis reached over and daintily picked up a still warm piece of foccacia bread from the basket in the middle of the table. As she buttered the piece of bread, she eyed Olivia with intensity.

"So how have you been, dear? It's been years," Monica asked.

"I've been well, Mrs. Davis. Things have gone really well for me since the last time we really spoke." Olivia sipped her water with one hand while her other hand was being caressed by Edison's.

"So I've heard. Every time something big goes on in D.C. your name always seems to come up," Monica said, still eying Olivia.

"Well, yes, it could seem that way—"

"And your work on President Grant's campaign and how you turned it around to actually lead him to the White House. That's stuff of legends, dear."

Olivia was about to respond when the waiter arrived at their table with their dishes. Olivia was famished, and the venison she ordered already had her mouth watering. Once everyone had their dishes in front of them, they took a few minutes to taste and savor their meals. At one point Edison used this fork and knife and cut a piece of Olivia's venison for him self. While chewing, he motioned to his own plate of pan seared scallops, but Olivia shook her head no.

"So Olivia, I must say, I was quite surprised when Edison informed me that the two of you were dating again," Monica said pointedly.

"Mother…" Edison tried to get his mom to cease whatever train of thought she was on.

"Edison," Monica responded. She focused on Olivia and waited for a response.

Olivia put her utensils down and looked at the older woman. "Mrs. Davis. There's no story to tell. We're dating again, just seeing how things go this time around now that we are older and know ourselves a bit better."

"I understand. But, given the fact that you pretty much ignored Edison's calls for three years…" Monica trailed off. Olivia titled her head to look at Edison, who just shrugged his shoulders. She should have known that Edison would tell his mom that piece of information. There were times that Olivia thought that Edison would tell his mom if he had to go to the bathroom. For the most part, Olivia didn't begrudge Edison his close relationship with his mother. But given the fact that Edison in his mid 40s, something had to give.

"Well Mrs. Davis," said Olivia with a slight bit of steel in her voice, "I was in a relationship for much of that time. So, I thought it was in both of our interests to refrain from contact—especially since, I didn't feel that we had much to talk about."

Both Edison and Monica took Olivia's statement in. She didn't mean to be harsh, but the situation was what it was. She was with Fitz for most of that time, and she didn't have time for Edison. After she'd left the White House, she certainly could have returned any one of his multiple calls but she didn't want to be bothered. Despite not being with Fitz, she still loved him and _wanted_ to be with him. So, she just took herself out of the dating game.

"Mother, Olivia and I have already spoken about this. As she said, we're just dating," Edison said, but Olivia could hear a tinge of something else when he said "just dating."

"I understand that, dear, but you're not getting any younger. You're a good looking politician. It looks strange for you not to be married," Monica tried to reason.

At the word marriage, Olivia choked on a piece of venison. Edison lightly thumped her back and Olivia took a deep breath, while simultaneously grabbing her glass of water. "Marriage? Edison and I are nowhere near marriage. We've only been dating for not even a full three months!"

"Olivia, dear, not to push you, but you and Edison have four years worth of history," Monica explained. If Olivia had it within her, she would have rolled her eyes—but, she remembered her home training and knew that her mother would be very upset. But Olivia did not want to hear the same backwards reasoning from Monica that she'd already heard from Edison. So Olivia just nodded and continued her meal. For the rest of dinner, the trio was able to talk civilly about neutral topics. Olivia actually laughed a few times and was beginning to enjoy herself. Then her phone beeped, indicating that there was a text message to be read. She picked up her phone and quickly punched in her passcode and clicked the icon. What she read made her heart speed up.

"Liv? Liv what's wrong?" Edison asked, worry evident in his voice.

"It's Cyrus. Mellie, I mean, Mrs. Grant had the baby."

"Oh? I didn't know you were still so close to the Grants to warrant personal text messages from the President's chief of staff," said Monica. Olivia got the dig—she knew that neither Mrs. Davis nor Edison were fans of the Grants. They were democrats through and through. And thought Olivia wasn't with Edison when she started working on Fitz's campaign, she knew that he and his mom probably had a whole lot of not so nice things to say about Olivia choosing to help get a republican elected as President.

"Yes, Mrs. Davis, I'm still close enough to the Grants to warrant personal phone calls. I still have a hard pass to get into the White House as well. I must say, having the President and his Chief of Staff on speed dial does come in handy at times," Olivia shot back. Her precious Edison may be the new Senate Majority Leader, but it still had nothing on being the President of the United States of America. Olivia wasn't one for titles—she had her own, but she always found Mrs. Davis to be ridiculously pretentious, so anytime she could burst her bubble, she took it. Yes it was immature and petty, but Olivia took what she could get.

"Since you are so close to the Grants, I'd always wondered why you left your position as Communications Director," asked Monica, pushing aside her almost empty plate.

"Well, I pretty much wanted to start Olivia Pope & Associates. I enjoyed working at the White House, and am still called to handle certain things for them. It's the best of both worlds. I enjoy what I do very much."

"It must be difficult being with Edison and giving him counsel knowing that whatever you say could be the opposite of what the Grant administration would want."

"Not really. Edison and I agreed to not talk about work for that very reason. I wouldn't want there to be any conflicts of interest. I find that it works for us," Olivia explained. She wasn't completely honest—Edison wasn't one hundred percent on board with her "Chinese wall" but she didn't give a damn. And, it wasn't her fault that Edison persisted in telling her his business, that was on him.

Monica laughed. "Oh, Olivia. Still your secretive self, aren't you?"

Olivia's head recoiled back like a snake who was about to strike. "Excuse me, Mrs. Davis, but I think it's most prudent to keep my client's confidential information confidential. And, the Grant Administration happens to be a client of mine. It has nothing to do with being secretive, it has to do with earning the trust of my clients and not tarnishing the reputation that I've worked for." To say that Olivia was pissed was an understatement. This is exactly why she didn't want to have dinner with this woman. It never failed, Monica Davis seemed to strive to cause some type of issue between her and Olivia.

After her slight outburst, Edison took the lead over the conversation and steered them back toward neutral topics. Olivia was more than ready to go home. She'd just endured Monica Davis and now Fitz was a father—again.

* * *

After some hours of hard labor, Theodore "Teddy" Wallace Grant made his way into the world. He was eight pounds and nine ounces and twenty inches long. For the hour after his birth, any on looker—including Olivia herself—would have thought that Mellie and Fitz were so very much the happy couple that they portray to the world. There was no faking their joy over their new son and they gazed at him in Mellie's arm. They were legitimately happy. But, as happy as Fitz was to see his new son, he still couldn't help wishing that Olivia was here and that she'd just given birth to their child. Despite how much she'd hurt him, he still wished for her. He sighed.

"What is it Fitz?" Mellie asked while holding one of Teddy's small hands.

"It's late Mellie and you've had a long day. Let's have the nurse put the baby back in the nursery so that you both could get some sleep. Don't worry, an agent will be posted outside of the nursery," said Fitz as he took the baby from Mellie's arms and started to sway. "Gerry and Karen will be here tomorrow to see you and their new baby brother. So, get some sleep." He pressed the call button for the nurse. When the nurse appeared in the room, Fitz gave the baby a kiss on his soft cheek and handed him over to the nurse with certain instructions and a warning about the secret service presence outside of the nursery. Once they left, Fitz turned to Mellie and ran his fingers through his hair. With the way she was looking at him, Fitz knew that Mellie thought he was going to kiss her. But he wasn't in the mood to grant her that wish. With a final stroke of her hair, he told her that he'd see her in the morning with the kids and walked out of the room.

* * *

Olivia lay on her side staring at the wall. She was as far as she could be without failing off. She's always found sharing a bed overrated. For the most part, she didn't care for it, she liked her space and didn't want to be crowed at night. She knew it annoyed Edison (and other men she'd been with) but it was pretty minor so he didn't make a big deal over it. She'd done what she'd always done after they had sex—she gave him a peck on the cheek and rolled over to her side of the bed.

This night, though, sleep didn't come easily. On the way home from dinner, Cyrus sent her another text giving her all of Teddy's information. She could only imagine how beautiful the little boy was. Whatever she thought about Mellie, Olivia couldn't deny that she was a striking woman. And Fitz…what more could be said about Fitz? From the moment she met him, she thought him to be devastatingly handsome. Their genes had created beautiful children in Karen and Gerry, so Olivia had no reason to think the same wouldn't or couldn't be said about baby Teddy.

Despite the fact that she was currently sharing a bed with Edison, she couldn't help but think about Fitz and his role as father…

* * *

_Past – Nearing the end of the General Election_

_"Do you think you'd want to have children in the future? Fitz asked Olivia. The pair lay next to each other, naked and spent, with Fitz on his side to that he could look at Olivia. She had one arm flung above her head and her eyes were closed. She hadn't even bothered to pull the covers up, so her breasts were bared to Fitz's gaze. Upon hearing his question, she opened her eyes and turned her head so that she could see his face. Fitz was looking at her was an expectant look, waiting for her to answer his question._

_"What brought this on?"she asked._

_"I don't know. It's just that we've never spoken about it before…" Fitz trailed off._

_"Should we even be talking about this, Fitz? I mean…look at our situation? It's not as even if I said yes we could start working on having one," Olivia said this without malice, the situation was what it was._

_"Livvie. Please, just answer the question." Fitz pleaded and Olivia sighed._

_"I don't know. I've thought about it before and I still don't know," was Olivia's response._

_"What don't you know, Livvie?"_

_"I don't know because I don't know if I'd be a good mother," Olivia supplied._

_"What?" Fitz was incredulous. "What makes you think you wouldn't be a good mother?"_

_"Because Fitz. Look, my parents were great—they are still great. I love them. But, they weren't very affectionate. They didn't always put me first. Don't get me wrong, I knew that my parents worked very hard to give me everything I wanted and needed. But it's difficult, as a child, to wonder why your parents could never make the time to go to any of your functions or recitals. And with the job that I have, I'm afraid that I may repeat that cycle."_

_Fitz listened and then took a few moments before he spoke. "Livvie, where there's a will there's a way. I think you'd be a wonderful mother. I can just imagine you with a little girl or boy and running up to the school to fix any and every problem they'd have. You have a lot of love to give." Fitz kissed her on the forehead, which brought a smile to her face._

_"Great mothers are fighters. And you, Olivia Carolyn Pope, are the epitome of a fighter, which means you'll be a great mother," Fitz said as he ran his fingers over her cheek. "Besides, you've met my father. If I thought I'd turn out like him, then I never would have had Karen or Gerry. One isn't necessarily destined to repeat the sins of the parent."_

_At that statement, Olivia nodded knowingly. Fitzgerald Thomas Grant, Jr., aka Big Jerry, was an asshole of the highest order. It saddened Olivia that, after all of this time, Big Jerry still had the power to reduce Fitz to feeling like a ten year old boy._

_"You're right. And, as I said, my parents are great despite their flaws. They love me and are very proud of me. I don't know…I just have to see if it's in the cards. Children may not be destined for me," Olivia gave a slight shrug._

_"The world needs a mini Olivia Pope!" said Fitz and he achieved just want he wanted, to make Olivia laugh. And she did. Even though she laughed, she still couldn't help but think of the fact that she did think she wanted children. But she wanted children with Fitz. She wanted a mini Olivia Pope with Fitz's eyes and devilishly sweet grin. And she wished to whatever deity that would listen, that one day she'd get the mini Olivia Pope that she'd dreamed off._

_Olivia turned her back to Fitz so that she could hit the lights in the room. Shrouded in darkness, Olivia turned over again and moved toward Fitz. She lay her head on his chest so that his heartbeat could lull her to sleep._

* * *

Present Day – 3 days later

As was their custom, Olivia met Cyrus for their semi weekly meetings near the White House. She supplied the coffee while Cyrus staved off their hunger with pastries. As they sat, there was only one thing on Olivia's mind.

"How's Fitz and the baby?" She asked, anxious to hear. She placed piece of the cranberry scone into her mouth as a way to cover up her slight nerves.

"Both are doing well. Mellie was released from the hospital yesterday, so she and America's Baby are safely ensconced behind the White House walls and gates," Cyrus paused. "He's a beautiful baby. He looks a lot like Mellie."

Olivia nodded. "That's good, good." That's what she said aloud, but she couldn't believe that this was how things had turned out. Sure, America's Baby was a product of her needing to be the fixer to save Fitz's presidency, but damn if she wished that her fixing hadn't worked so well this time. She sighed, and handed Cyrus the gift bag that she'd brought with her.

"What's this," Cyrus asked, his curiosity piqued.

"A gift for Teddy. I didn't think Fitz would want to see me, so could you please give it to him?"Olivia asked.

Cyrus, being somewhat nosy, peeked into the bag. He couldn't exactly tell what it was, so he stuck his hand in and pulled out her gift. He chuckled when he saw a newborn sized "Navy" t-shirt.

"This is nice, Liv," said Cyrus approvingly.

Olivia smiled. "There are little sweatpants in their too. I figured Fitz would get a kick out of it."

"That he would," Cyrus said and then paused, wondering if he should continue.

Olivia sensed his hesitancy. "What is it Cy? What's wrong?"

"Fitz is fine, but he's not fine. He's not doing well. I thought getting my president back would make things better. Don't get me wrong, Fitz has been a beast as of late. He's so very focused and getting all of his tasks done and seeing his plans come to fruition…" Cyrus trailed off. "But it's like something is missing. His spark is gone. The Grant charm has waned a bit. He's not the same, Olivia."

"Cyrus—" Olivia began but was interrupted.

"It's not like the times you and he have had your spats and stopped speaking. It's not even the same as how he was when you resigned. I think it's because he knew you were still there, he knew he could come to you. But now that he's "let you go"—" This time it was Olivia doing the interrupting.

"Cyrus, it was Fitz's decision to let me go, to end things," Olivia tried to defend herself.

"Let's not play games Olivia. With the way he felt about you, I know that if he "let you go" then he only did so because you pushed him to do it," Cyrus said, looking at Olivia with a look that dared her to deny his statement.

"What do you want me to do, Cyrus?" Olivia was at a lost.

"Maybe you should just call him. Check in on him."

"And what the hell is that supposed to accomplish? It's probably make him even more miserable," Olivia reasoned. In fact, the truth was, she thought a phone call to Fitz would make _her_ more miserable and make her question her decision once again.

"I think a call just letting him know that you are still by his side and on the team if need be would do him good," he explained, eyeing Olivia.

"I'll think about it. I have to go, Cyrus. Make sure you give that to him, ok?" With nothing further, Olivia stood up from the bench and walked away, throwing away her coffee and the remnants of the scone into the first trashcan she passed.

* * *

"Mr. President, I have a gift for you," said Cyrus as he walked into the Oval. There Fitz sat behind his desk with papers strewn about and a serious look of concentration on his face.

"What is it, Cyrus? What gift?" Fitz questioned.

"From a friend," said Cyrus as he handed over the gift bag.

Fitz took the bag and looked at it questioningly. He thought they'd already received and cataloged all of the gifts for Teddy. He shrugged and stuck his hand into the back and pulled out the t-shirt and sweatpants. He smiled at seeing a tiny version of this Navy shirt and matching sweatpants. He couldn't wait to dress Teddy up in this outfit. While he knew that Cyrus and Mellie would think it a prime photo opportunity, he just wanted to share something special with his son.

"Who gave you this, Cy?" Fitz asked.

Cyrus paused before answering and that slight pause gave Fitz his answer.

"Olivia, sir. She wanted me to give this to you on her behalf," Cyrus explain.

Fitz nodded. "I see. And she couldn't give this to me herself?"

"Sir…Olivia felt that it would be more prudent if I delivered it to you," answered Cyrus. Fitz nodded and replaced the outfit back into the gift bag, Cyrus took this opportunity to leave. Any other time he would have made a sly comment, but he couldn't deal with Fitz right now, especially after having dealt with Olivia earlier. Cyrus just shook his head as he left the room.

Fitz sat at his desk and starred at the gift. Only Olivia would give him something like that, and that was one of the reasons why he loved her. He appreciated her gesture, but it was still painful. Though he questioned Cyrus as to why Olivia didn't bring the gift herself, he understood and agreed with her reasoning. He was still hurt and she…Fitz didn't know what she was. Confused, perhaps. But there was nothing he could do about it. But he did have manners.

Fitz picked up his phone and requested a secure line. Once that was established, he dialed a number that he knew by heart.

"What?" That was how Olivia Pope answered her cell. It was direct and to the point.

"I just wanted to thank you for the gift. You didn't have to," Fitz said as a greeting. He heard her let out a breathe.

"You're a father again. I wanted to give you something special," she said, repeating the same line from years ago, when she gave him the Eisenhower flag pin.

"You didn't have to, but I appreciate it all the same. I'll send you a picture of him in the outfit, ok?"

"Sure. Thank you, Mr. President," said Olivia. It sounded like she may have wanted to say more, but Fitz didn't give her a chance.

"Good bye, Olivia," said Fitz. He hung up the phone.

* * *

**A/N: So we met Edison's mom and she's pretty mean to our Olivia. And she's the one calling Olivia cold? And we learn that once again, Fitz is the exception to some of Liv's rules, ie: her preference to not share a bed. Sorry for the imagery of Liv and Ed in the bed post coitus, but that's not as bad as an actual full scene of them in the bed doing certain thangs, no? And Olivia is still questioning her decision...maybe Verna's warning is really starting to sink in? And even though Cyrus has "his President back" he's lost part of his President in the process of his machinations.**

**Feed the muse and leave me some reviews! Thanks!**


	4. Chapter 4

_Present Day – 4 Months Later_

Fitz was sitting on the couch in the Oval Office, perusing the papers and files strewn about the desk in front of him in an effort to prepare himself for his upcoming meeting—a meeting which was to begin in the next 5 minutes. A meeting that he tried to fool himself into believing he was truly ready for, but he had his internal doubts. Fitz was about to run a hand through his hair when there was a knock on the door. The door opened slightly, enough for Mrs. Hanley to poke her head in.

"Mr. President. Senator Davis is here for your meeting."

Steeling himself, Fitz replied, "Thank you Mrs. Hanley, send him in."

Edison walked int eh room with a purpose, as if he had something to prove. "Mr. President," Edison greeted, as he extended his hand to take Fitz's outstretched one. Fitz grasped Edison's hand with a bit more strength than would be necessary to convey the customary "strong" hand shake. He saw Edison try and cover up a slight wince before he let the senator's hand go.

"Have a seat, Senator Davis. Would you like something to drink? Coffee, tea…?" Fitz trailed off as he sat on the couch, in the same spot he'd previously departed.

"No thank you, Mr. President," Edison responded, making himself as comfortable as he could while still trying to keep his back straight and look like a formidable opponent.

"Senator Davis. As the new Senate Majority Leader, I wanted to discuss my comprehensive immigration reform bill. I think that the provisions it provides for should be enough for bipartisan backing. As the Majority Leader I'd like to have your support, regardless of the fact that we belong to different political parties. I truly believe that this plan will benefit the nation as a whole and not one party and their constituents over the other," Fitz explained. Once he got over his initial wariness about having to meet with the man currently in a relationship with the love of his life, Fitz's composure returned. He had a job to do. He must focus. He couldn't worry about Olivia…or Edison…or how the pair looked as Edison lay on top of Olivia's naked body and moved in and out of her when they didn't know they were being observed.

"Mr. President," Edison began, sitting up even straighter, if that were possible. "I must say that at first I was wary of your plan. Some parts of the measure seem too lenient to those who enter this country through illegal channels," Edison paused, and then continued. "However, last night I spoke to Olivia about the measure."

"Oh?" was all Fitz could say. He had hoped that Olivia wouldn't come up at all during this meeting. But, as Mellie told Fitz, you can't always get what you want.

"Yes. It's funny really. Liv has this thing about not talking about work. She wants a "Chinese Wall," he said, raising his hand to mimic quotations. "Said she thought it would be best if we didn't discuss work," Edison rambled, not sure why he did so.

Fitz thought that piece of information was interesting. While he wasn't privy to all of the cases that she handled, Liv didn't really have a problem with talking to Fitz about her cases. To be sure, hadn't felt the need to ask, knowing that her line of work required discretion and confidentiality. But Liv never really had a problem with talking to him about work, they shared a lot during their time together. Nothing was off limits, even if it took some time for one or the other to actually say what they wanted to say.

After taking a moment to think about what Edison had unwittingly shared, Fitz nodded as a signal to Edison to continue what he was saying.

"Liv fleshed out your initiatives and put it in a light that I hadn't thought of previously," explained Edison.

Fitz gave a small toothless smile. "Yes, Olivia has a way of doing that. She is very missed by me- and this administration."

Edison nodded, slightly put off by Fitz's last comment. Missed by him? What was that about? "She does. So, Mr. President, I am happy to lend my support to this measure as a way of showing bipartisan faith. I will engage my Democratic senators in discussion about the measure and try to get them on board as well." Edison stood up and Fitz followed suit.

"Thank you Senator. I must admit, this went far better than I expected. I expected a lot of back and forth and some compromise," Fitz said as he walked Edison to the entry of the Oval Office.

"Mr. President, this is all due to Olivia. She mentioned that she helped you develop the measure during her time on the trail and in the White House. So she was able to effectively and efficiently argue for each point of the measure. After listening to her points and counterpoints, I couldn't argue with her position or yours." As he did when the meeting first began, Edison extended his hand, which Fitz took. This time, Fitz made sure that his grip didn't cause Edison to wince. When Edison left the Oval, Fitz walked back onto the couch and plopped down. The meeting went better than he expected. Short, quick, to the point, and he didn't have to spend too much time in Edison's presence.

It was also enlightening. He learned that Olivia was less open with Edison than she was with him. He also learned that despite walking away from him, she was still on his side. While that new nugget of knowledge didn't give him hope for their relationship, it did make him smile.

* * *

Later that night at he apartment, Olivia and Edison were eating a small dinner in her dining room. She was hungry and tired and sleepy. She just wanted to hurry up and go to sleep. She didn't have the urge or inclination to do anything else—and she hoped Edison got the hint that tonight was not the night for them to have sex. Liv was about to get up and put her dish and wine glass in the dishwasher when Edison spoke up.

"I met with President Grant today about the immigration reform bill."

Almost immediately Olivia gave her his attention. She'd wanted to ask about the meeting, but thought it prudent not to, since she was the one who instituted the Chinese Wall—a wall which hadn't been working well, to tell the truth. Olivia had no problems with not sharing work details with Edison. Yet, Edison had a habit of telling her of the many confidential going ons of the Senate floor. Olivia usually just listened, and occasionally stored information away for later use. Heck, just because he wanted to share everything didn't mean she had to.

"Yea I know. I wasn't going to ask you about it. But since you brought it up, how did it go?" She asked, trying to hide how anxious she really was to hear about his meeting with Fitz.

"It went fine. I wasn't even there that long. He was ready to do battle for my support, but I told him that you broke down the measure piece by piece. "

"Why did you tell him that?" Olivia asked, slightly shocked.

"Why wouldn't I? You used to work for him, you helped him come up with the plan. I don't see the issue. And I let him know that it was because of your explanations and intimate knowledge of the inner workings of the bill, that I had no problem with promising my support on the senate floor" Edison explained, not understanding Olivia's issue.

If only Edison knew just how _intimate_ Olivia's knowledge of that bill really was… Fitz and Olivia had spent many a night together talking about the measure. Nights that always began or ending with them making love and having multiple orgasms.

"I guess you are right. I'm glad the meeting went well. That's a good thing for you. Even though you are in different parties, having a cordial relationship with a sitting President can never be a bad thing," Olivia reasoned, trying to be a good girlfriend and support her man.

Edison nodded his agreement. "You are right about that, Liv. Ready for bed?"

"Yea, I'm wiped. Today was a nightmare. I just want to sleep and have this day be over with. Can you put these dishes in the dishwasher for me? Thanks." Olivia leaned over and gave Edison the quickest of pecks on his lips and touched his cheek. That was all she could give him tonight.

* * *

_Present Day – 1 Week Later_

Huck burst into Olivia's office, causing her to give a slight jump in her seat. She looked at Huck and immediately knew something was wrong. Before her tongue could move to begin to form a syllable Huck began speaking.

"Liv, we have a problem. Becky—the woman I've been dating—she's going to try to assassinate President Grant. TODAY."

Olivia could barely begin to process what she'd just been told. The ruckus had caused Abby, Harrison and Quinn to find their way into her office to figure out what was going on.

"Huck…what did you say?" Olivia asked, her words coming out stilted.

"Becky is going to try and assassinate President Grant," Huck repeated. The rest of the crew walked further into the room with looks of incredulity on their faces.

"Huck, how do you know?" asked Harrison, taking over for Liv due to her apparent shock.

"I was in her apartment looking for something to eat. She had gone out—she said she was going to work, but that I could stay until I got ready to go. There's a secret panel in her kitchen. I pushed through and saw all of these pictures of the President as well as a layout of Arlington National Cemetery where he will be speaking tonight."

Olivia heard all of this and her mind snapped back into motion.

"Huck, come with me. The rest of you stay here and handle the cases we have going on," Olivia ordered as she gathered up her coat, handbag and gloves.

Abby rushed to stand in front of her. "Liv….LIV! Where are you going? What are you going to do?"

"We're going to the White House. We have to go now. The President's speech is in less than four hours."

"Yes, but Liv—" Abby tried to interrupt.

"Abby. MOVE. OUT. OF. MY. WAY!" Olivia commanded, not in the mood to play questions and answers with Abby at this moment.

Abby moved out of her way and stood by Quinn, whose eyes were just darting back and forth. Huck followed Olivia out of their office and sat in the passenger side of the car, making sure to buckle up and Olivia sped down the street.

Once at the White House, Olivia had no problem getting in, for she still kept her hard pass for emergencies. The most she could spare was a wave to Morris as she hurried to get to Fitz, to warn him, to save him.

Olivia knew her way through the White House like the back of her hand and made her way through the halls without anyone questioning her presence. It wasn't until she reached Mrs. Hanley that she had an issue.

"Ms. Pope. The President asked not to be disturbed," Mrs. Hanley explained.

"Mrs. Hanley, I understand. And believe me, I wouldn't be here if it weren't urgent…" Olivia trailed off, her eyes wide and imploring. If she would have calmed down to think, she would have gone to Cyrus first. But her one thought was that she had to get to Fitz herself.

Mrs. Hanley looked at Olivia and pursed her lips. She wasn't going to let her in the Oval—the President seemed very serious about not wanting to be disturbed by anyone, not even Cyrus. But then Mrs. Hanley took in the serious look on Olivia's face she knew something was wrong.

"Good ahead Ms. Pope," and Mrs. Hanley waved them in.

Olivia didn't even knock; she just walked through the door. She realized that, despite the rush, she should have knocked lest she see something that she really didn't care to see at this moment. Luckily for her eyes and heart, the only thing that met her gaze was Fitz sleeping on the couch. He looked both tired and young at the same time. She hated to wake him, but his life was on the line. She walked over to him and knelt down in front of him. Huck saw this and turned to face a different direction.

She brushed his cheek softly and said his name three times before his opened his eyes. Fitz was startled to wake up and see Olivia's beautiful face in front of him. He hadn't seen her in months, since the night of his 50th birthday gala. He missed her terribly, but seeing her in front of him made his heart ache and harden at the same time. He still wasn't ready for this.

"Olivia, what are you doing here? I told Mrs. Hanley I didn't want to be disturbed—and that was for everyone who wasn't my child." Fitz said without any trace of sleep in his voice. It was brisk and matter fact—the fact of the matter was that he didn't want her there, her face so close to his without him being able to do what he wanted to do about it.

Olivia wasn't surprised that he didn't want to see her. They had only had contact with each other once since the gala, during the phone call regarding Teddy's gift. But she didn't have time for Fitz's ire toward her.

"Fitz, I had to come. You're in danger," Olivia stated as she stood up from her kneeling position.

Fitz sat up and ran both hands through his curls. "Olivia, what are you talking about?" Fitz asked.

Olivia opened her mouth to speak, but Huck interrupted her. "Sir, I intercepted a plan to assassinate you. Tonight. During your speech to the military and their families at Arlington National Cemetery," Huck explained.

Fitz stood there shell shocked from what he was being told, so much so that he was struck mute. Olivia walked up to stand directly in front of him. Knowing that she shouldn't, she reached both hands to his face and rubbed both of her thumbs across his cheeks.

"Fitz," she began, "it's going to be ok. You are safe. As soon as Huck told me what he'd discovered, I rushed right over to tell you. I wanted to make sure you were safe, that nothing would happen to you." Olivia finished her statement in a slight rush, wanting to hurry and get all of the words out of her mouth. And Fitz only stood there and stared at her, reveling in the feel of her hands on his face. Fitz's began to open his mouth to speak and at that moment one of Olivia's thumbs began to shift so that she could brush her thumb across his lips. But before she could complete her movement, the door burst open to reveal and irate Mellie and a smirking Cyrus. Olivia immediately dropped her hands, but she didn't step away from Fitz.

"Olivia! Well, I must say that I'm surprised to see you here after all of this time. When I called Mrs. Hanley to check Fitz's schedule, she told me you were here. So I called Cyrus so that we could both come and catch up so to speak. So…why are you here?" Mellie asked with a sickly sweet smile. Olivia knew the score and she wasn't surprised that Mellie would rush down to see what Olivia and Fitz were talking about.

Olivia steeled herself. She did not feel like dealing with Mellie's bullshit right now. Fitz was so much more important than whatever pissing contest Mellie wanted to get into. So, she ignored Mellie and set her eyes on Cyrus.

"Cy, Huck uncovered an attempt on Fitz's life. The would be assassin had plans to strike tonight at Fitz's speech," Olivia explained to a dumbfounded Cyrus. Even Mellie was shocked and almost started going off when Cyrus shut her down and called for Tom and Hal. Immediately, Cyrus told them what was going on and the trio went to formulate a plan with the FBI, CIA, and Secret Service. Huck joined them; he felt used and betrayed by Becky and wanted a hand in taking her down. Mellie rushed out, and murmured about finding ways to spin this into greater approval points or more political capital.

Fitz and Olivia were left alone in the Oval. Fitz really couldn't do anything but stare at her.

"Fitz? Fitz, are you ok? Don't worry, you'll be fine," Olivia said, grabbing his hand.

Fitz looked down at his hand in Liv's and squeeze. "Yes, thanks to you. I'm not even going to ask how you found out about this. I know Huck—I trust him."

Olivia nodded, still keeping her hand in Fitz's.

"So…you rushed right over to warn me?" Fitz asked, trying not to show a small grin but failing miserably.

"Of course I did, Fitz. I'd never knowingly let anything happen to you. For many many reasons," Olivia said as she returned his smile with a hopeful one of their own. "Everything is going to be fine. Everyone is looking out for you—they all care about you and love you. So do I." Olivia finished, not unsure of why she said what she said about caring and loving Fitz, but worried about his reaction to her comment. She was so unsure of him now, in a way that she'd never been before—not since he apologized for firing her mere minutes after they'd met.

Olivia missed him terribly. She missed him after she'd tendered her resignation at the White House. But, in the back of her mind, she knew he'd always be there for her, that he'd still loved her. Now, the fact that he let her go made everything have a sense of finality. Fitz's presence had always been a constant and now he was gone. Because of that and the way things were left at the gala, Olivia was now unsure of him. Whereas before the "letting go" she had an idea of how her words—good and bad—would touch him. Now, she just didn't know and the feeling of flying blind when it came to Fitz unnerved her.

Olivia stood there waiting, hoping that Fitz wouldn't have a negative reaction to what she'd said. She stared at him and he stared right back at her. Fitz has just opened his mouth to talk when Cyrus, Huck, Tom and Hal burst into the room.

"Mr. President, it's time to go. We have to fill you in on the plan of action," Cyrus declared, aware that he has just interrupted a moment between the two. For that he was sorry—he's wanted them to see each other and talk for a while. He thought that without Olivia he'd get his President back—but he's only gotten a shell of his former self. But, now wasn't the time to worry when Fitz's life was on the line.

Fitz continued looking at Olivia. "Good-bye Olivia. And thank you." And he walked away.

* * *

"I'm Kimberly Mitchell and in tonight's shocking news, a Presidential assassination attempt foiled. Stay tuned for an account of everything we know thus far…" Kimberly Mitchell's voice boomed from the television in Olivia's living room where Olivia sat riveted to the screen. Huck's plan in conjunction with Cyrus and the Secret Service worked; Becky was captured without much problem. Even though Olivia was happy that no harm had come to Fitz, Olivia did feel for Huck. This was him trying to move on from "Spin" and try to find a bit of happiness in a relationship. Yet, what he got was a trained assassin just like him who, as Huck found out after being a part of the interrogation, was going to frame him for Fitz's would be murder.

Huck had stopped by her apartment to fill her in on the details that weren't safe to talk about on an unsecure line. After he relayed the details, Olivia reached out to touch him before she remembered that he preferred not to be touched.

"Are you okay, Huck?" Olivia questioned.

Huck was silent for a few moments before he responded. "I thought I had moved on from Spin, Liv. I was trying to find my own kind of normal." Olivia nodded.

Huck paused again and then looked Olivia in her eyes. "I'm sorry that the person I really cared about tried to kill the person you love."

His declaration shocked Olivia, though it shouldn't have. She wasn't surprised that Huck knew about her and Fitz. He was a trained CIA operative and one of the best. "Observant" was Huck's middle name. Yet, because Huck was never one to put himself into someone else's personal business, it was a surprise to actually hear him say what he knew out loud.

Olivia didn't know what to say to his declaration so she just nodded. Huck turned around and began to walk toward the door when he turned around after Olivia called his name.

"Why did she do it?" Olivia had to know.

"She said that she was retiring and she wanted to go out with a bang. This was all her—no one paid her. She just wanted this last feather in her cap." With that explanation, Huck walked out the door.

Olivia shook the thoughts of Huck's visit from her head and gave her attention back to Kimberly Mitchell. They were delving into the assassination attempt and how the secret service was tipped off by an "anonymous source" when Edison walked in.

"Liv! I heard about everything that happened today. I figured that you'd have been too busy to eat so I brought dinner," he said as he set up her dining room table with formal dishware. Olivia wanted to continue to hear Kimberly's take on the situation, just in case there was anything untoward that she needed to spin, but she decided to go have dinner with Edison since he was considerate enough to bring them dinner.

They ate their dinner in a comfortable silence. After finished, Edison mentioned that he'd brought dessert. He took their finished plates and the remnants of their dinner into the kitchen. Olivia sat there comfortably at the table re-thinking of the day's events in her head when she saw a shadow move out of her peripheral vision.

"What…?" And then she saw Edison drop to his knee with a ring in his hand. A ring that looked very familiar. It was his grandmother's ring, the same ring that that he used to propose to her years ago.

"Liv…I love you. I never stopped loving you. Now that you have given us this second chance, I don't want to let you go. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Edison asked, his nerves clear on his face. Olivia looked at him and then at the ring, a ring which made her think of the ring that she wore on her left index finger…

* * *

_Past – After the Inauguration, During the First 100 Days_

_"I have something for you." This is what Olivia heard and felt, as Fitz said these words with his lips pressed against her temple. Olivia lay on top of him, her back to his front with his arms wrapped around her, as Fitz lay on a couch under her in their cabin at Camp David._

_"Oh really? What do you have for me, Mr. President?" Olivia asked in a very suggestive tone. She placed her hand between their bodies and began to rub the outline of his penis. Fitz chuckled and removed her hand from his burgeoning erection._

_"That's not the "something" I was talking about. Though, we can add it to the night's agenda, of course, if it suits you."_

_"Oh it suits me. So, what is this mysterious something you have for me, hmm?" Olivia asked as she leaned up and got off of Fitz. She sat at the other end of the couch and stared at him expectantly._

_Fitz got up and retrieved his suit jacket and dug around in the inner pocket. He walked back over to her, whatever he had concealed in his hand. He sat next to Liv who was looking at him from her Indian style seating position._

_"Close your eyes and hold out your hand," he said. Olivia lifted an eyebrow but acquiesced to his request. She closed her eyes and held out her left hand. Seconds later she felt something placed in it._

_"Ok, you can open your eyes."_

_Olivia opened her eyes to see a gold ring resting in the palm of her hand. She looked at it and then looked at Fitz._

_"Do you like it?" he asked, his nervousness apparent in his voice._

_"Fitz…it's beautiful." Olivia brought the ring closer to her face. It was an 18k gold double banded ring that met in the center and fanned out, sort of like the middle of the infinity symbol. "Fitz, what's this for?"_

_"I wanted to get you something. I wanted to get you something that you could wear daily to keep a part of me with you. I have the flag pin and now you have the ring. Please say you'll wear it…" Fitz trailed off, still nervous._

_"Of course I'll wear it. I love it Fitz. You didn't have to give me this, but I love it and appreciate it," she said, handing the ring back to Fitz and outstretching her left hand for him to place it on her finger. Fitz took her hand and looked at it and then looked at her and looked back to her hand. She knew what he was thinking—that he wished that he could put the ring on her left ring finger. But that wasn't to be…not now, anyway. So he just placed it on her index finger. The ring fit perfectly._

_"I love you Livvie," Fitz declared. He didn't expect her to return his sentiment verbally but he knew that she loved him too. He was willing to give her space, all the space she needed, in order for her to be comfortable saying what he already knew._

_At his declaration, Liv shuffled back into Fitz's arms and sat in this lap. She kissed him softly, her tongue seeking immediate entry into his mouth. Her hands were on his face and Fitz enjoyed the feel of the ring's—his ring's—cold metal on his face. Olivia pulled back from the kiss._

_"Fitz, I think I'm ready for that other "something" you promised me…"_

* * *

_Present Day_

"Liv, what do you say?" Edison was still on one knee waiting for Liv's response.

"Edison, I…."

* * *

**A/N: Hi all. Sorry about the cliff hanger. I actually had it in my head before I saw 2.11, so I'm not trying to copy Shonda's flow in this regard. So, at one point I was thinking of adding Defiance to this story. However, after watching 2.13, I hate how the story played out (Verna's reasoning remains nebulous at best). So I decided to put my own spin on it.**

**Also, I hope you guys caught the slight Olitz progress in this story DESPITE Ed's proposal. Y'all just stick with me.**

**One more thing: So in Chap 3, AB's name was Christopher. I went back and changed it to Teddy. At the very least, I'll stick with the canon names from the show.**

**Please show me some love with lots and lots of reviews! I'll try not to take so long with the next update. xoxo**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Warning: small Ed/Liv sex scene to follow. It's neither super descriptive nor long like the ones I've written in The Trail Redux; but thought you should know. I hope you will read anyway!**

* * *

_Present Day – 3 weeks later_

When one finds out that there was an almost well executed plan to take one's life, it kind of puts things into perspective. That's the way Fitz felt after the foiled attempt on his life. Perspective and priorities. The two Ps, as Fitz liked to think of them. The attempt further emphasized the fact that life was short, you never know when your time will come. Fitz felt fortunate that Huck found out about his former girlfriend's plan in time and that Olivia did whatever she could to make sure Fitz was still long for this Earth.

Olivia…Fitz thought about Olivia even more than usual over the past three weeks. He wanted to be with her more than ever. Potentially and almost dying would do that to a person—make them yearn to be with the love of their life even more, because there really was no time to waste when you find the person that was put on this Earth to be with you. To be your helpmate, your partner, your best friend, your lover, the mother of your children. Despite him wanting that, Fitz held back. He wanted her badly, but how long could one chase someone who seemingly didn't want to be caught? Fitz had extended himself to her so many times in so many ways, always wanting her and very ready to prove how much he wanted to be with her. Hell, he was willing to tank his presidency for her.

Yet, it wasn't to be. Fitz knew Olivia loved him, of that he had no doubt. But, she'd always been more circumspect than he when it came to their relationship. While he would have risked his career and reputation to be with her, he didn't know if she'd do the same for him. Now, though, he didn't begrudge her for it. Everyone has to make a choice about what's best for them. And, Olivia seemed happy with her life now. Cyrus had found ways to let him know how Olivia was doing over the past six months. From what he'd heard, she seemed happy and her relationship with Senator Davis was getting very serious once again. Fitz would be lying to himself if he said that this news pleased him, but at the end of it all, his love for Olivia made him want her to be happy with whoever she was with. If Senator Davis made her happy, then he'd wish them nothing but the best.

Olivia being happy was the thought that he kept in his head as he greeted his guests at the state dinner. Of course, Olivia was there accompanying Edison. Unlike the last time he and Olivia were at a formal event together, Fitz held no animosity toward Olivia. She didn't deserve his ire just because she wanted to live a normal life. At the receiving line, Fitz surreptitiously took Olivia in like a man thirsting for any little drop to quench his thirst. While Fitz shook the hand of the dignitary in front of him, his peripheral vision took in Olivia's form, draped in her customary white. It looked like a two piece gown; the bottom was flowy and romantic looking while the top of it was a modern corset style with a slight V which tastefully showed off Olivia's cleavage. Her hair was pulled back into a side-swept ponytail and her face was flawless as usual, adorned with only as much makeup necessary to make her doe eyes stand out even more and her lips look slightly poutier. It took every ounce of will power within Fitz for him to school his expression when it was Olivia and Edison's turn to be received by him and Mellie.

"First Lady. Mr. President," Edison greeted Mellie and then Fitz. This time when Edison shook Fitz's hand he was ready with a strong grasp of his own. Unlike Edison, however, Fitz didn't flinch—Edison's handshake didn't come close to warranting one.

When Olivia was received by Mellie, Mellie proceeded to give her a hug—but anyone with eyes could see that the hug was so cold and perfunctory that Olivia could've gotten frostbite. Olivia backed out of the "hug" as quickly as she could without making a scene. Once in front of Fitz, they locked eyes for a mere moment before Fitz averted his and shook her hand, welcomed her and implored her to have a good time in an effort to rush her away. Mellie stood there taking the whole situation in with a smirk on her face. Edison, missing the exchange, merely took Olivia's hand and led her into the dinner. And Fitz did nothing more than continue to greet his incoming guests.

Once again, the time came to dance with Olivia (once again orchestrated by Mellie, who seemed to just want to rub Olivia's relationship in his face), he greeted her warmly and genuinely. Fitz extended his hand to Olivia and she took it, stepping into his embrace. Though there was a respectable amount of space between them, anyone who bothered to really look at them would have been to see the magnetic pull between them. This time, Fitz had no problem looking at Olivia and he didn't care what he his eyes may have betrayed. Olivia seemingly felt the same, for her eyes remained locked on his.

"How are you, Olivia?" Fitz asked.

Olivia gave a small sigh. He still persisted in calling her Olivia. It was weird; previously, he'd only ever called her Liv or Livvie. The few times he did call her Olivia were during times when he was mad at her or there was something of great importance that needed to be discussed. But now, it seemed like he used her given name as a way to maintain distance between them, the distance she initiated when she demanded that he let her go.

"I'm well, Fitz. I should be asking you how _you_ are," she paused, still taking in his face as he led her around the dance floor. "How have things been the last few weeks? I see that the media attention has gone down a bit. I'm glad you listened to Cyrus and let Kimberly Mitchell interview you about…the assassination attempt." Olivia still had a hard time thinking about those words, let alone saying them.

"Don't you mean that you are happy I listened to you?" Fitz asked with a small grin on his face.

"What do you mean?" Olivia asked.

"Cyrus told me that it was your idea," Fitz said, raising his eyebrows in an effort to let Olivia know there was no use in fudging the truth. Olivia smiled at him, at smiled that reached her eyes in response.

"Ok, yes, it was my idea. And before you ask, I didn't tell you myself because I didn't know if you'd want to listen to me."

"I listened to you when you barged into the Oval to tell me that someone planned to kill me," Fitz countered.

"Yes you did. But that's different. You didn't have enough time to argue with me and I had reinforcements in the form of Huck," Olivia responded.

"Olivia, I would have listened to you. I swear…especially after you saved my life," again, Fitz grinned at her, but this time his grin wasn't slight. No, it was one of his devastating grins, the kind that still made her melt and made her stomach flutter as if it housed a colony of butterflies.

Olivia dipped her head, suddenly a bit shy. She then turned her head slightly so that she could see where Edison was; she saw him dancing with a Congressman's wife, but Edison's attention was focused on Olivia and Fitz while his dance partner prattled on and on about some subject Olivia wasn't close enough to be privy to. Edison had a small frown on his face as he watched Olivia and Fitz interact, and Olivia could even begin to think what was going through Edison's mind, but it likely didn't bode well for her.

As Fitz continued to lead Olivia around the room, his hand on her back began to get antsy, seemingly of its own accord, and started to drift slightly lower. At the same time, the space between them decreased slightly in a way that was noticeable only to them. Fitz's fingers started to play with and rub Olivia's fingers that were in this grasp. In doing this, he realized that Olivia was sporting a new piece of jewelry on his hand. Fitz made no effort to disguise what he wanted to do—he merely maneuvered her left hand to so that he could see her ring finger. Seeing the engagement ring on Olivia's finger stunned him. He knew things were serious, but he didn't think that they were at the point of being engaged—again.

Olivia wasn't shocked at Fitz's actions. She was trying to think of a way to tell him about her engagement but didn't know how or where to even start. When Fitz's fingers, to her restrained delight, began to do their own dance with hers she knew it was inevitable that he'd notice the extra hardware she was sporting. Olivia looked from her hand and the ring that graced her ring fingers to Fitz's face. She thought she saw shock and sadness in his eyes, she couldn't be sure as his face became unreadable.

"I see congratulations are in order," Fitz began, spouting out the first pleasantry he could think of in his surprised state.

"Yes they are. Thank you," Olivia said. She was uncomfortable talking about her engagement to another man while in Fitz's arms.

Fitz pursed his lips and continued to look at Olivia. She could tell he had something to say, so she just waited and followed his lead, both literally and figuratively.

Fitz looked at Olivia's hand again and this time it didn't escape his notice that thought she wore Edison's ring on her ring finger, she still wore the ring he'd given her years ago on her pointer finger on the same hand. He looked back at her and saw that Olivia was looking at her hand, and likely knew that he'd realized the she continued to wear his ring.

"Are you happy, Olivia?" he asked her, not sure why or what answer he expected her to give.

"I think I am Fitz," Olivia said, putting on a brave front. She didn't know what she was, but happy definitely wasn't it. Yet, how fair would it be to Fitz to tell him that she wasn't happy and regretted pushing his hand to let her go? How could she tell him that she should have listened to Verna because the older woman was correct in her warnings: she tried so hard to get Fitz to walk away from her without thinking about the repercussions. She didn't think about losing not only the love of her life, but her friend too.

"Good. That's all I ever wanted for you. I mean it. Ok?"

Olivia nodded. "Ok, Fitz." She looked at Fitz, and wanted to say something else, anything else to keep this moment going, but…

"May I cut in?" was all Olivia heard. She turned her head and saw Edison standing there, his face showing slight signs of suspicion.

"Not a problem Senator," Fitz said as he looked at Edison. "Congratulations on your engagement, Olivia just shared with me the good news. You are a very lucky man, Senator."

The tone of Fitz's voice put Edison on edge, much like the way Edison was taken aback by the tone in his voice when the President spoke of missing Olivia during their meeting. There was something between Liv and the President, much more than campaign manager and Presidential candidate. Much more than communications director and President. Just how much more was there Edison didn't know, and he wasn't sure if he should try his hardest to find out.

"Yes, Mr. President, I know I am. Liv made me a lucky man by agreeing to become _my_ wife." The emphasis on "my" was not lost on Fitz, who took that has his cue to leave.

Fitz returned his attention to Olivia. "It was very nice to see you, Olivia. I hope you and the Senator enjoy the rest of your night. Take care, ok?" Fitz let go of Olivia's hand and walked away into the depths of the crowd. Upon his exit, Edison took Fitz's place and wrapped an arm around Olivia's waist and taking her other hand into his.

"What was that about?" Edison questioned her as they danced.

"What was what about?" asked Olivia as they danced. She made sure to look at him with a smile on her face, lest he continue to think something was off.

"You and the President. You two looked pretty cozy over here before I interrupted…" Edison trailed off, a slight frown on his face.

"Well…we were, I guess. I mean, that's my friend and he was almost assassinated a few weeks ago. I wanted to find out how he was doing. And, we were talking about the engagement—"

"You mean _our_ engagement," Edison said, trying to fix her words.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Yes, Edison, _our_ engagement. The President offered his congratulations and expressed the fact that he was glad I was happy."

"That's it?"

"Yes, that's it. What's wrong with you?" she questioned, trying to delfect attention and the next to explain onto her fiancé.

Edison shook his head. "Nothing, Liv. Just an overactive imagination. Let's enjoy the rest of the night," he said and then pressed his lips against hers. Liv didn't let the kiss become intense, and after a few seconds pulled back. However, a few seconds was still too long, for Olivia looked over her shoulder and saw Fitz's eyes on her. He clearly saw the kiss, but his face didn't betray his feelings. Despite that, Liv felt uncomfortable that her public display of affection with Edison. She was always uncomfortable watching Fitz and Liv play up their non-existent romantic feelings for each other for the public—and this was while knowing that it was all a façade and Fitz's real feelings were reserved for her. So, she could only imagine how Fitz felt watching her kiss another man that she was actually engaged to marry. Yet, she couldn't worry about it lest Edison begin to question her again.

Fitz took the image of Olivia kissing Edison in stride. It hurt, but he was not lying when he told Olivia that all he wanted was her happiness—even if it wasn't with him. He wouldn't do anything else to jeopardize her happiness nor would he do anything to make her feel that she should feel guilty for her happiness.

Fitz turned around to walk further into the crowd. He stopped to talk to a few dignitaries other members of the political elite before inadvertently running into Mellie, who proceed to ask him to dance in front of another Senator. Because he couldn't say no, he smiled and took his wife into his arms and began to sway to the music.

"So, how is your dear Ms. Pope doing? I saw her and Senator Davis kiss. I'm sure that must have hurt," Mellie said, purposely trying to needle him knowing that he couldn't lash out at her in public.

"Mellie, must we do this now?"

"Yes, dear, we must. And you know what else? I could have sworn I saw something flashing, even all the way over here. This place is very well lit, dear, and sometimes when the light hits something, it can be seen from the other side of the room," Mellie said, waiting for Fitz to take the bait. When Fitz remained silent and continued to twirl her around the dance floor, she continued. "I saw you looking intently at her left hand. Do you have any news you'd like to share?"

Fitz sighed. "Mellie, I'm not doing this with you. I refuse. You know what you saw, and I won't give you the satisfaction of actually saying it. Just stop. Let's just try to act like we are enjoying ourselves together so that this night can hurry up and be over with."

* * *

That night as Liv stood in front of the mirror in her en-suite bathroom, she looked at herself and tried to figure out how she got where she was. Her face was scrubbed clean of the little bit of makeup she wore, her hair pulled back into a messy high bun. She felt like she just wanted to hide and run from the world that she'd made for herself.

She'd surprised herself three weeks ago by accepting Edison's engagement. When "yes" came out of her mouth, it was as if her heart had grown a mouth and screamed "what have you done?" Olivia only sat there and held her hand out and let Edison place his grandmother's ring onto her left ring finger, the same ring that he'd given her years ago during their first engagement. Edison was so happy, and after placing the ring on her finger, kissed her. He ran his hands through her hair and then brought both of her hands to caress her face. To say that he was happy was an understatement, and for the past three weeks he'd been walking around with a constant smile on his face.

Olivia, however, wasn't smiling. Over the weeks post her engagement, she spent more and more time at OPA, immersing herself into the immense caseload. Instead of delegating, she began to do a lot of things herself. She just didn't want to be home. She wasn't happy over her engagement—and neither was Monica Davis, who made no effort to hide her disbelief and suspicion when Edison was not around. The day after the engagement, Monica called Olivia from her home in Florida and proceeded to question her about the seriousness of Olivia's feelings for her son.

"So, you really plan on walking down the aisle with my son this time?" Monica had asked, her voice laced with incredulity.

"Yes, Mrs. Davis, that is my plan and intention." Olivia answered, trying to be nice to the older woman who was to become her mother-in-law.

"Hmmm. Yes well, plans and intention can change, can't it?" The older woman question, catching on to Olivia's words, words that could serve to give the younger woman an out if she choose.

"Mrs. Davis, your son asked me to marry him and I accepted. What more do you want?"

"I want you to tell me that you love my son and you want to be his wife—and mean it," Mrs. Davis demanded.

Olivia breathed in deeply and proceeded to speak each word clearly and slowly. "Mrs. Davis. I love your son and I want to be his wife." Olivia waited for Mrs. Davis to respond with more skepticism, but Olivia's words seemed to have appeased the woman. Unfortunately, those words did nothing to stop the truth from pushing through to the front of her brain: she wasn't in love with Edison and she didn't want to marry him. Edison was her escape route. He was safe, a known quantity. She could hide herself from him, keep herself safe, and he would be none the wiser. She could retain some measure of control over her feelings and not have to worry about being vulnerable and possibly losing a part of herself in her marriage with him. With him, she could try and find some normal, maybe have a kid or two. She could be normal.

Olivia kept the goal of normalcy in her head as she continued to stare at herself in the mirror. She heard Edison call her name; she took a breath and walked out in the bedroom.

As Edison moved on top of her and let his hand roam her body, Olivia's mind swam out of focus. She didn't see him, nor did she hear his groans of pleasure or her name leave his mouth. She thought about the way Fitz's arms felt around her as they danced and the way it felt to have his hands play with hers. She'd always like his hands. The first time they really touched each other in a way that was not that of a campaign fixer and candidate was on that bus years ago when she placed her hand on his on the seat cushion of the campaign bus.

Olivia thought about Fitz's hands on her body as Edison's hand moved to grasp her ass to pull her more into his thrusts. Fitz had a way of making love to her that made her feel that every part of her body was either covered or touched by him, no matter what position they were in. His hands never kept still, they had to touch her. She felt the same about him. She loved Fitz's body and had spent much time cataloging every spot on his body. She knew what made him moan, groan, gasp, sigh, and even scream out expletives.

As she reminisced about the many sexual escapades between her and Fitz and the way Fitz played her body like an instrument, she felt herself getting wetter and more aroused from her thoughts alone. It wasn't Edison who had her on the verge of coming, but the mere thought of Fitz. When she came, she bit her lip, keeping the cry of "Fitz!" locked within her. And when Edison had reached his own peak and kissed her, Olivia could only think that her wish for a normal life would probably make her miserable…perhaps sooner rather than later.

* * *

_Present Day – 1 Week Later_

Fitz sat behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval, sucking on a piece of candy and review some files and figures regarding the deficit. He'd made key strides in lowering the country's deficit, much to the satisfaction of his base and the public, but there was still more work to be done. He'd gotten a late start that morning due to spending time with his children. Jerry and Karen were home for spring break, so Fitz took advantage of having all three of his children under one roof. It was beautiful to see his older children interact with Teddy. Due to being away at boarding school, Jerry and Karen hadn't spent as much time as they would have liked with their new baby brother, so they took the time to dote on him and try and garner one of his precious smiles.

The sight of all three of his children together made Fitz take out his cell phone and snap pictures. He'd gotten great ones and he'd actually been tempted to send a few to Olivia. She'd loved the picture he'd sent of her Teddy in the baby Navy sweats. Fitz knew that Olivia and Karen and Jerry, while not best friends, had developed a nice rapport with each other and would have liked to see them in some pictures as well. But he didn't. The fact that Olivia was now engaged to be another man's wife meant that Fitz needed to continue to respect the boundaries that had been in place over the last six plus months.

After a long breakfast (which Mellie only stayed for part of, as she had a few speaking engagements planned to her delight), Fitz found himself in the Oval. He continued to look over the documents until Jerry came into the room with a worried expression on his face.

"Dad, do you have a few minutes?" he asked, fiddling with a box in one hand and a text book in the other.

"Sure, what do you need?" asked Fitz, as he closed hid file and pushed some of the papers to the side in a neat pile.

"Ok, well remember the blood type take home lab assignment I have for AP bio? The professor told us that we should pick a few people in the family to do the test on.."

"Yes, Jerry, I know. Didn't we do this yesterday? I'm AB negative."

"Right dad. And I ran the test on Karen yesterday and she's A positive and you know I'm AB positive. Mom told me she was B positive…"

"Right…so that means Teddy should be A or B or AB right?" Fitz didn't know where this was going. Jerry was a smart kid…did he just want his dad to check his work?

"Dad…I don't know if I messed up. Everything else makes sense. But Teddy—his blood type is O positive. That's impossible."

Upon hearing those words, Fitz's face slackened into an open mouthed stare. "Are—are—are you sure, Jerry?" Fitz stuttered out.

"Dad, I'm positive. I did it twice. Maybe something is wrong with the rest of the mixture." Jerry wasn't dumb. He knew was this meant—that his father was not his brother's father. That his mother had someone else's son. Jerry wasn't blind, he knew his parents didn't have a traditional marriage. It was a marriage in name only and had been for a while. He was sure that his parents loved each other in their own way, but he was also sure that they weren't in love with each other and he was pretty sure that they didn't even like each other. But for his mother to pass off another child as his father's….Jerry's main thought to himself was that his life was fucked and damn AP Bio for making him be the bringer of potentially catastrophic news.

"Jerry, did you mention this to your sister?"

"No, I came straight to you dad. What are you going to do?"

Fitz thought for a moment and then buzzed Mrs. Hanley on the telephone. "Mrs. Hanley, please tell Tom to come into the Oval. I need him to set up a visit to the hospital for Teddy."

"Mr. President is something wrong with him?"

"I think he's running a slight fever. I just want to take him in to be sure. Tell Tom to make the arrangements for a secured area and lab in the hospital. Thank you."

* * *

_Present Day – 2 Days Later_

Olivia ran around her bedroom looking for her grey stilettos to go with her grey slacks. She was running late for a meeting with her associates to go over all of the open cases they had on their list of things to handle. Edison had already gone home a few hours before to shower and get a fresh change of clothes. Despite having been together for months and now being engaged. Olivia refused to let him formally move into her apartment. She told him she didn't want to live with him until they were married. While he whined a bit, he had no choice but to comply.

Olivia finally found her shoes and shoved them onto her feet. She looked at herself in the full length mirror attached to her closet door and ran a hand through her hair. Once she was pleased with her appearance, Olivia turned around and walked out to her living area. She grabbed the coffee mug that sat on the table and took a big gulp. The television on was on and the morning news was playing, but Olivia didn't really pay attention. She'd grabbed the remote and was about to turn off the television but stopped when she heard "Breaking news" come from the television.

"Good morning. We are now receiving reports that America's Baby, Theodore Wallace Grant, Teddy for short, is not the biological son of President Fitzgerald Grant," said the male news anchor.

Upon hearing those words, the coffee mug fell from Olivia's hand and shattered on the floor. Some of the coffee splashed onto her pants and shoes. She just stood there in shock. And then her cell phone began to trill.

* * *

**A/N: I got the inspiration for Liv's gown from the Rodarte gown Kerry wore to the SAG awards.**

**Thanks for reading! I want to thank all of you for the awesome reviews. They mean a lot to me—seriously. Thanks for sticking with this! xoxo**


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